A Fresh Start
by pretty in orange
Summary: Tatsuki's fears come true, and she runs somewhere no one would've expected for comfort, but what will the end result be? Chadsuki. T for some swearing and a few suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit from this.

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20-year-old Tatsuki saw her unrecognized worst fear, across the street, at 3:05 PM on a Sunday.

Ichigo was kissing Rukia. Ichigo, Tatsuki's boyfriend, was kissing another girl. Something inside her wanted to snap, but she slowly realized that this was her fault. She'd been the one that believed him when he had told her that he had dumped Rukia. For once, Tatsuki didn't feel so confrontational, just guilty and pretty damn heartbroken. And stupid, she felt so, so stupid. Tatsuki refused to hang her head, though she didn't look at Ichigo as she kept walking. Eye contact was void; she refused to make eye contact with anyone.

Heading for her apartment, she spotted a familiar face, the one person that was just what she needed right now. "Hey, Chad!" She waved her arms around so he could spot her.

"Hey." Chad blinked as he edged his way around the people walking down the sidewalk. "Is something wrong, Tatsuki?" Damn his intuitive ways, Tatsuki made a face to let him know she didn't want to talk about it.

"What are you up to today?" Tatsuki forced a smile onto her face, though it felt completely and totally unnatural there.

"Looking for a roommate." Chad sighed slightly. "Do you know anyone who would want to-"

Split second, out of nowhere, Tatsuki jumped in. "Hey, can I move in with you?" She laughed to try and alleviate her nerves for being so sudden. "I can definitely help with the rent, I've got that job down at the dojo." Tatsuki's smile was becoming more and more real. Her apartment had been lonely, and it would be even more so once she texted Ichigo – the rudest way she could think of to dump him. He deserved that. She'd stoop to someone else's level for once in her life because _he_ _deserved it_.

"You... You want to?" Chad blinked, his eyes wide underneath his hair.

"It'd be great to live with a friend!" Tatsuki's grin was actually enthusiastic now. "If you're game, so am I."

"Alright." Chad was smiling, just the least bit now. "When can you move in then?"

Tatsuki laughed. "When do you want me?"

* * *

"Is that everything?" Chad eyed the boxes Tatsuki had brought from her apartment. There wasn't much, and Tatsuki was perfectly ok with this. She knew she didn't live a luxurious life, the job as a sensei at the dojo helped her get by, with a spoil here and there, but she wasn't rich by any means.

"Yeah." Tatsuki smiled. "Thank you for helping me move. Anything you need help with around here, just tell me alright?" She grinned up at Chad. "I definitely owe you."

Chad shook his head briefly, leaving Tatsuki to wonder which comment that was directed at. "Do you want help unpacking?" He eyed the boxes on the floor of the guest room. Tatsuki took brief inventory of what was in those boxes in her head – mostly clothes and pictures, with a few other things. God forbid Chad stumble upon the box with her underwear in it.

"Nah, I got it." Tatsuki sat on the guest bed – now her bed – and looked at the boxes before glancing up at Chad again. "Hey, to be clear, I will help out with anything. I want to be an active member of the household."

Chad nodded... and was that the ghost of a smile on his lips? Slowly, he slipped out of the room.

Tatsuki stared at the boxes for a long moment before lying down on the bed. Ichigo had cheated on her. She had sent him that text that would end their relationship, sure, and it was over. But that didn't mean he wouldn't do it to Rukia again. Tatsuki just didn't feel confrontational about the whole thing, otherwise she would've told Rukia, would've smacked Ichigo upside the head a few times and... She wouldn't feel so cowardly. Orihime had tried to convince her that it had merely been a misunderstanding. That Ichigo would never do something like that, and Tatsuki had chosen not to argue with her. She'd seen it with her own eyes, she knew. Orihime, despite being far past her infatuation with Ichigo, and being months away from marrying Renji, just couldn't bring herself to see the bad sides of Ichigo still. Tatsuki didn't blame her, not really. After all, it had taken seeing it loud and clear for her to realize what was happening. Tatsuki took a deep breath and sat up. No, self-pity was not her thing. She refused to let herself get down over something this... Ok, it wasn't small. But it wasn't huge in the grand scheme of things either. She could handle this. She wouldn't pout or cry, she refused, just refused. She quickly busied herself with unpacking what little she had, and ignoring the fact that the guy she had known since childhood had used her to cheat.

* * *

"Why did you want to move in so suddenly?" Chad glanced at Tatsuki as she busied herself trying to cook. She'd insisted that she cook her first night there, as thanks, and she had certainly made herself busy.

"No one told you?" Tatsuki paused, the knife poised above a tomato. "No one told you at all?" She'd wondered how word had gotten around – or if it had – and here was her answer. Chad shook his head. "Ichigo was dating Rukia. And two timing her with me." Tatsuki kept her voice as even as possible. "I didn't know. I found out right before I ran into you, and... Well, clearly I had to break up with Ichigo, and I didn't want to be alone, I guess." She focused on cutting up the tomatoes again. "You're a good guy, and..." Now, where could she go from there that it wouldn't feel totally awkward? "I needed a friend like you. I know you're close with Ichigo, but you love all your friends regardless. So... I felt like I could turn to you even though you might be on Ichigo's side." Tatsuki didn't like spilling her guts, but it had come so naturally in that moment that she didn't regret it.

"Tatsuki-" Chad began, his voice acquiring an urgent edge. A second later, Tatsuki realized why. She had been done slicing the tomato, and then she had sliced finger. Swearing, she put her finger over the sink as blood began to come off it in a small waterfall. With her free hand, she grabbed the small piece of tomato she had bled on and threw it in the sink, to deal with later. Running cold water over the cut to try and ease the bleeding, she frowned as the water ran red. "I'll get the first aid kit." Chad slipped from the room, heading for the bathroom. Tatsuki stared at her finger, willing the bleeding to stop. She didn't want to go the hospital – too much drama – and she certainly couldn't face Isshin Kurosaki after the drama with Ichigo. As she listened to Chad rattle around in the bathroom, rather urgently, it appeared, for the first aid kit, she tore off some paper towels and applied pressure as best she could. She could deal with pain and she could deal with blood, but the idea that she might have to go to see Ichigo's Dad? That thought was painful and dizzying worse than anything physical she was going through. "Let me see." Chad returned with a first aid kit, opening it and patiently waiting for her to unwrap her finger. Tatsuki did so, and tried not to look. Though blood didn't bother her, she didn't much care for it either. Chad frowned as he studied her finger.

"That bad? It doesn't hurt that much." Tatsuki studied Chad's face as he gently pulled the cut open to see the exact extent. His eyebrows were drawn in, not a good sign.

"We're going to the hospital." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Chad ripped off several more paper towels and wrapped them tightly around Tatsuki's finger. "Hold that."

"Is it that bad?" Tatsuki eyed her finger. She absolutely hated trips to the hospital, not out of fear, but out of the fact that they always treated her like a kid. That said, her other option was the Kurosaki clinic, and she was not going there.

"Bone is showing." Chad's tone was even as ever. "Come on."

Tatsuki heaved a sigh. This was just not her week.

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A/N: Just so you know, the whole story is done, I'm just editing it. Second chapter to come soon! Tell me what you think, will you? Thank you for reading this chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit off of this.

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Chad sat with Tatsuki through the tedious ER visit, from the paperwork to the stitching up of her finger. If it had been anyone else there, Tatsuki would've balked and said she didn't need to be babysat, but with Chad... she just didn't feel the need. Especially when he was watching her with worried eyes reminiscent of a really big puppy.

Back at home, Chad ordered takeout and Tatsuki found herself on the couch with a blanket. The pain meds were kicking her ass around the block, and she felt like sleeping for a few days, but she'd fight it. She wanted to find a way to help out, but now cooking was out of the question. Tatsuki blinked the sleep from her eyes as Chad leaned down. Tatsuki sat up a little, and Chad tucked a pillow under her head. "Thanks." Tatsuki mumbled. "Hey, Chad?" She was drowsy, but if she got her way, she wouldn't let it win. When Chad looked at her, she smiled slightly. "You're a better friend than I ever thought possible." Chad nodded briefly.

It was then that sleep took Tatsuki away, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

When Tatsuki woke up, she wasn't quite sure where she was. Fumbling for a minute, she turned on the lamp, and saw the half empty boxes around her new bed. _Her room._ But she had fallen asleep on the couch, right? A quick survey revealed she was neatly tucked into bed. _Chad. _He must've carried her in here. Tatsuki was quickly finding a newfound respect for the guy, though he made her feel like an inferior friend since he was being so nice and she had messed up the one nice thing she'd tried to do. A second glance at the nightstand revealed a handwritten note. Picking it up, she read it silently. _Leftovers are in the fridge, and your pills are in the bathroom cabinet. I put your cell phone on the charger- it was on the end table and it was dead. Remember to be careful of your finger at work. – Chad_

Could he possibly be any nicer? Tatsuki would make damn sure that nobody used him as a doormat. He was just so... kind and sweet. Why didn't he have a girlfriend? Tatsuki's eyes widened that her brain had gone _there_. What the hell? She didn't need to think about Chad's love life. Why had she gone there? Inhaling deeply, she tried her best to refocus her mind. She didn't need to go there today. Or ever.

Tatsuki glanced at the alarm clock, which read 6:00AM. Did she want to go to work? Could she function on painkillers? The throbbing in her hand told her no, she should just stay in bed, but she pulled her ass out of bed. Figuring out how to shower without getting her hand wet took some thinking, but eventually she found a small package of latex gloves in the first aid kit, and pulled one on over the bandage, though her finger protested.

20 minutes later, she was at work, and trying to face the day. Funny thing being, she wanted nothing more than to be at home with Chad.

* * *

Tatsuki didn't know what it was with those kids. The second she started feeling down or sick, it became demon-child central in her dojo. Either way, she was exhausted and her hand was throbbing – she'd forgotten to take her pain pills, just as Chad had warned her not to. She stopped at the apartment door, rifling through her workbag. Key, key, key... Did she have a key? Oh, Chad had said he'd get her one ASAP, and then... he hadn't, not yet. Short of breaking the door, she was stuck out here. Calling the locksmith didn't seem a likely option either, considering she had only just moved in and the neighbors would likely think she was trying to break in. Whipping her cell phone out, she dialed Chad's cell number. He picked up on the second ring, and she tried not to sound too irritated, though her anger was more directed at herself than anyone else. "Hey, I'm locked out. Is there an extra key here somewhere?"

"No." Chad went silent for a moment. "I can come home a little bit early to let you in, but I'll be at least an hour and half. Can you find somewhere to hang out?" It was probably the most Chad had ever said to her at one time, and Tatsuki was impressed.

"I'll find a friend to hang out with." Tatsuki rifled through her brain for a friend she could still turn to. She couldn't think of anyone off the bat, but she didn't want Chad to feel guilty. "I'll see you soon then."

"Yeah." Chad didn't hang up, so Tatsuki waited a minute before saying a goodbye and hanging up. Tatsuki leaned against the wall, her hand throbbing with a heartbeat all its own. Ok. Who could possibly still be on her side? She didn't exactly have a massive circle of friends. Ichigo and Rukia were out for obvious reasons, and Orihime was so busy with Renji, Tatsuki doubted they wanted a third wheel. Which left Keigo and Mizuiro. Mizuiro was so busy with his wife and new baby, so that left Keigo. Tatsuki picked up her workbag and started towards Keigo's apartment. It was only a twenty-minute walk to Keigo's apartment from here, but it gave Tatsuki a little time to think. Orihime was getting married, _Mizuiro_ was _married_ and had a _baby_, Ichigo was even in a relationship, though sooner or later that feline would be let out of the bag and probably he wouldn't be after that. Where did this leave her? What did she want? Silently, she reflected on what she had wanted as a little kid: _someone to defend. _At the time, that had been Ichigo, and then Orihime. But Ichigo... that was over. And Orihime had Renji to defend her from now on, and Tatsuki trusted him to keep her safe. Thinking hard, Tatsuki couldn't even remember exactly what kind of person she had wanted to defend. A child of her own? A husband? What had it been that she had wanted so desperately? All she knew was that she had wanted someone she could keep safe. Her stomach turned at the thought of being alone.

Knocking on Keigo's apartment door, she was met with the one familiar face that had never been too busy for her. "Hey, Keigo." She mustered a grin, though she was tired, in pain, and frustrated with life itself. "Can we hang out for a bit?"

"Of course!" Keigo laughed and let her inside. "I heard you moved in with Chad, how's that going?" The little eyebrow waggle he did suggested he thought more was going on than what _actually_ was going on in that apartment.

"I'm not sleeping with him." Tatsuki cuffed him on the back of the head. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I need somewhere to hang out for a bit, I got locked out and Chad can't get home for a while." She paused as Keigo nodded in understanding. "So, how's that girlfriend of yours?" Small talk wasn't Tatsuki's forte, but she could try. With any luck, Keigo would take up the talking half and she could just listen.

"She's good. We're great." Keigo's eyes had a mischievous glint to them, and Tatsuki knew exactly what that meant. "We're really great."

"You're going to ask her to marry you, aren't you?" Tatsuki cursed her ability to read her friend so well; it was just making her feel worse about not knowing what she wanted.

"That's the plan!" Keigo gloated, not noticing her discomfort. "Do you think she'll say yes?" Keigo was grinning, and Tatsuki felt bad for putting her problem first. Giving him a nod and smile was easier than actually answering him, and Keigo's grin grew despite the lack of verbal confirmation. Keigo had been in that relationship for nearly two years, and Tatsuki found it a safe bet that the girl would say yes. "Hey, what happened to your finger?" Keigo leaned down to examine Tatsuki's hand.

"Don't remind me." Tatsuki huffed. "Can I ask you something without you spilling it to half of Karakura Town?" She had a question, and it felt important enough to not wait to ask someone who could keep secrets more efficiently. When Keigo nodded solemnly, she took a deep breath. "Do you know why Chad is single?"

Keigo blinked. "He likes girls, if that's what you mean." A pause. "I think he just hasn't found the right girl. Why, are you crushing on him?" Keigo's eyes were alight again. "Does Tatsuki have a crush on Chad?"

"No." Tatsuki shook her head. "He's just so nice, and I don't understand why he's not in a relationship." She glared at Keigo. "I don't have a crush on him, Keigo."

"If you say so." Keigo singsonged. "But, don't girls like bad boys?" He plopped himself on the couch, scooting over for Tatsuki to join him. "Because it seems like girls all want bad boys."

"Not all girls." Tatsuki exhaled loudly. "Some girls like nice guys, it's not some genetic female thing." Keigo always knew what buttons to push to get a good debate out of her and, usually, in the end, to piss her off.

"Look at Orihime!" Keigo pressed. "She ended up with that Renji guy with all those tattoos. See what I mean?" Keigo grinned, as if this would help prove his point. Tatsuki felt like slamming her head into the wall. At heart, Renji was the farthest from a bad boy one could get. Tatsuki had seen him with Orihime; he was all cuddles and kisses. Bad boy her ass. Tattoos meant nothing.

"I don't like bad boys." Tatsuki was trying to keep a level head, because Keigo always knew how to make her lose her head, and she hated that.

"Well, I guess you're a good match for Chad then." Keigo grabbed a couch pillow and held it up defensively. "Mercy!" Tatsuki rolled her eyes at that, and shook her head.

"I won't kill you today, Keigo. I'll leave that up to your wife." Tatsuki gave him a tired smile as her cell went off. "One second." Lifting the cell to her ear, she pressed the button to answer. "Chad?"

"Yeah. I'm almost home." The background noise nearly drowned Chad out. "Meet me there?"

"Yeah, I'll be there. Bye." Tatsuki was learning that a phone conversation had to be ended on her side. Hanging up, she turned to Keigo. "I'll see you later. Good luck." With that she slipped out the door, heading home.

* * *

"You didn't take your painkillers." Chad noted as Tatsuki brought the bottle of pills out to the kitchen, getting a glass of water.

"I'm sorry, I know you reminded me." Tatsuki downed two pills with a swallow of water. "I was in a rush this morning and I forgot." She laughed. "I won't forget again, believe me." Chad nodded in response, but said nothing. "How was work?" Tatsuki added, forever trying to get Chad to talk more. She didn't mind the silence as much as she felt awkward just talking with minimal responses.

"Fine." Chad turned towards her, and Tatsuki remembered what Keigo had said. _Well, I guess you're a good match for Chad then._ Good Lord, was she blushing? This was ridiculous. Heading for her room, she fully intended to sleep the rest of the day away. She paused when Chad spoke, however. "Tomorrow is Sunday."

Tatsuki blinked. Sunday. A day off work. With all this mess she hadn't even been keeping track of the days. What would she do with a day off? "Thanks for the reminder." She glanced back at Chad. "What are you doing tomorrow?" Tatsuki added that last bit as an afterthought, what did Chad usually do on Sundays?

"Carnivore Kingdom is on at 8 in the morning." Chad glanced at her, as if worried she would disapprove. Tatsuki wanted to laugh, he still watched that? It wasn't that she found it funny though, not really... she found it something else, something that made her want to smile too. Chad slowly continued, "Then I'm doing some errands after lunch." He paused, and they stared at each other for a moment. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Do you want me to?" Tatsuki wondered if it would always be this much of a struggle to get him to talk to her. Still, she didn't have much to do on Sundays, and hanging out with Chad would be nice compared to doing chores alone and being left on her own to think. Chad nodded, and Tatsuki didn't even have to try to smile, it just came onto her face naturally. "Alright." After another moment of silence, she slunk off to her room.

She almost hated herself for thinking of it as a date, but she couldn't resist.

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A/N: Chapter Two, not too long after Chapter One, as promised! What did you think? And thank you for returning!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit off of this.

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Tatsuki managed to get out of bed by 7:20, then showered and dressed by 7:40. Chad was in the living room, in jeans, but shirtless (A fact that Tatsuki tried her hardest to ignore). Tatsuki sat beside him on the couch, eyeing the TV for a second before focusing on his face. She wouldn't let her eyes wander any lower than his chin if she could help it. "Morning." She gave Chad a smile. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine." Chad looked at her for a long moment, and it was then that Tatsuki knew that it wouldn't always be so hard to get him to talk. "You?" Tatsuki blinked at the unexpected question, and then tried to figure out how to answer it. She hadn't been sleeping well since she found out about the Ichigo thing, and that was if she could even get to sleep in the first place.

"I've slept better." Tatsuki admitted slowly. She didn't want to dump all her problems on him, though he was likely the safest place to dump them. Despite being so close with Ichigo, he had never once judged her or blamed her for her affair with Ichigo. Not once had a cruel word fell from his lips about the whole thing. The only thing he'd given her was acceptance, a new home, and someone to talk to who was a wonderful listener. Him.

The corner of Chad's lips twitched down, and he looked like he was about to say something, but then he turned away. Tatsuki leaned against the back of the couch, content with letting it go for now. She didn't feel like talking about it, the whole thing was already sandpapering against her skin with every moment that passed, and talking about it seemed to put it into sandblaster mode.

For now, she'd do her best to let it go.

* * *

"Are you ready to go?" Tatsuki rifled through her purse. She needed to either clean the thing or get a new one altogether; probably the latter, considering that it was fraying and the zippers were on the verge of breaking off. Still, she adored the camouflage shoulder bag; it was the only purse she'd been able to stick with for more than a few months. When Chad nodded, Tatsuki frowned. "Sorry, I'm holding up the show." She finally retrieved her debit card from her garbage swamp of a purse and she tucked it into an interior pocket for easier finding in the future. "Ok, let's go!" She bounced up from her seat on the couch. Normally, most Sundays, she'd be doing laundry and cleaning, since they were the only day she routinely had off and could finish them. But the laundry and cleaning could be put off for a few hours. Chad opened the door and let her go out first, and then closed it behind them, making sure it was locked. "So, where exactly are we going?" Tatsuki felt bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, for the first time in a long time. What was it about Chad that made her forget the hell she'd been through so recently? He was a kindred spirit in a world where, at the moment, there were few.

"The grocery store and the office store." Chad reached over and grabbed her wrist to help her through the crowd they were now headed through. Tatsuki had mixed feelings about the motion; on one hand, it wasn't really necessary, but on the other, it was a kind thing to do.

"What do you need from the office store?" Stupid question, Tatsuki thought, but it would keep him talking, she hoped. Chad said nothing, but he handed her a list. It wasn't in his handwriting, so Tatsuki figured it had to be someone from work's. "Hey, Chad, you're not getting bullied at work right?" She knew all too well that he had been a target of bullies in high school, since he never fought back, but that hadn't carried over, right? ...Right?

"No." Chad shook his head. His hand was still wrapped gently around Tatsuki's wrist; something that Tatsuki herself was trying hard to forget about. "I'm in charge of picking up office supplies this week though." Tatsuki chose that as an acceptable answer, but if she sensed something wrong, she'd be damned if she didn't beat the person down who was hurting Chad.

"Can we talk about something?" Tatsuki looked all the way up at him. "This is important." When Chad nodded, she proceeded. "How come you're not blaming me for the affair with Ichigo?" Chad stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her with wide eyes. Tatsuki took a deep breath and kept going. "You're close with Ichigo, right? I find it odd that you're on my side when you've been friends with him since the beginning of high school."

Chad didn't let go of her wrist; instead he turned to her. "You... were friends with Ichigo since childhood." Tatsuki nodded in response, though she doubted she could attest to being Ichigo's friend anymore. "Why would you ever lie to me about him if you've known him and been friends with him for that long? What would the point be to spread a rumor like that?" Tatsuki blinked, analyzing the reasoning. Yes, it made sense. She had no reason to lie about Ichigo, and that was why Chad was on her side.

"I get it." Tatsuki smiled. "Thanks." Taking a step forward, she grinned at him. "Come on, let's go!" Chad nodded, and they took a few steps before Tatsuki realized his hand had slipped down to hers. Something fluttered in her stomach, and she looked up at him in shock. His hand nearly enveloped hers, and his hand was warm and dry. Tatsuki forced herself not to over-think it, and just keep walking. She focused on one foot in front of the other for the rest of the trip.

* * *

How Tatsuki found herself here, she wasn't sure. But here she was, in Mizuiro's house. Taya Kojima, Mizuiro's wife, was tending to the baby, a little girl named Kami. Mizuiro wouldn't be home from work for another hour, but Taya was easy to get along with; Tatsuki found that Orihime was too immersed in wedding planning, and Tatsuki didn't want to interrupt.

"Can you hold her for a minute?" Taya held Kami in her arms. "I need to make her a bottle, just for a minute, Tatsuki?" Her blue eyes pleaded for Tatsuki to hold the baby for just a minute. But she didn't have to ask twice. Tatsuki willingly took Kami from her, smiling as the baby gurgled and wriggled.

At first, Tatsuki had wondered if Mizuiro's relationship with a girl his own age would last. After all, his high school years had been wild, him chasing after cougars. But Tatsuki could still remember the moment she knew they'd be alright: in front of all their friends, Mizuiro had gotten down on one knee and proposed to Taya. After that, they'd never looked back, and their lives were going well. Mizuiro had been in therapy the months between the proposal and the marriage, to combat his cub feelings, but everything had worked out.

Tatsuki was jealous. Everyone had gotten their happy ever after, except for her, it seemed. Staring down at Kami, she felt surprisingly emotional. Did she want a baby of her own? Could she trust a man after what had happened? Wait... a baby. Tatsuki's eyes widened and Kami giggled. Tatsuki tried counting the days, but she couldn't think straight enough to keep track without her calendar. When was her last menstrual cycle? No, no, no, she could not be pregnant. Especially when it would be Ichigo's. "Taya? Taya!" She ducked into the kitchen to find Taya testing a bottle on her wrist. "Is that done? I need to go home _right now._"

"What's wrong?" Taya's eyes narrowed with worry. "Tatsuki, are you alright?" Tatsuki said nothing, just shook her head. "If you need someone to talk to..." Taya began, but she eased Kami out of her arms.

"I don't need to talk. I need to go home." Tatsuki took a deep breath. No, this could not be possible. _No. _They'd been careful, so... Tatsuki took another deep breath. "I'll see you later, Taya."

"Tatsuki, are you sure you don't want to talk?" Taya tried to follow her, but Tatsuki was out the door before Taya could press the issue again.

* * *

Four days late. Maybe it wasn't as big of an issue as Tatsuki was making it out to be. It wasn't like her period had never been late before, but that was always by a day or two. She didn't have any symptoms, but those were variables, she wouldn't necessarily have them or not have them. Taking a deep breath, she checked the calendar for the umpteenth time. Yes, she was four days late. Lying on her bed, she listened to the near-silence of the house. Well. This would explain why she hadn't been feeling like herself, wouldn't it? Hearing Chad enter the house, she closed her eyes. She needed to go and buy a pregnancy test, but right now, she just wanted to lie there.

"Tatsuki?" Chad knocked, but didn't open the door. "Are you alright? ...Taya called me." Tatsuki stared at the door. What could she say? For the first time in a long time, she honestly felt like crying. Did everything have to go wrong?

"Come in." Tatsuki sighed finally, not even bothering to smile. Chad stepped into the room, studying her. "My day turned bad very quickly." Tatsuki was surprised she could keep her tone so even. Chad sat beside her, watching her, waiting for more information. Tatsuki wasn't bashful about girl things, no; she just wanted a delicate way to phrase it. She'd never really been straight up with Chad about girl things, and she didn't want to freak him out. "I might be pregnant. And it would be Ichigo's." Delicate, no, straightforward, yes. Chad stared at her for several long moments.

"What are you going to do?" Chad murmured after what seemed like hours had passed.

"I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I did anything but keep it." Tatsuki sighed. "But I need to take a pregnancy test to be sure." Silence ensued for a moment. "Do you want me to move out if I am..." _having a baby?_ She couldn't make herself say it.

Split-second decision, Chad shook his head. "No." Reaching over, he touched her hand gently, and then wrapped his fingers around it. "I'm here for whatever happens." Tatsuki blinked. Drawing a deep breath in, she sat up and hugged him. She felt terrible, she'd put Chad through so much in a matter of weeks. Still, he was here, and he wasn't going anywhere, it looked like. The acceptance in the silence, as he wrapped his arms around her, only confirmed her beliefs.

* * *

When Tatsuki awoke the next morning, she realized that a very welcome visitor had decided to come at a very inappropriate time. Well. At least she wasn't pregnant. Taking a moment to praise herself for putting her sheets on the bed a few days before, she stripped them off. Surprisingly, Chad was still home, she could see him through his barely open door. Shoving the pregnancy test box into her sock drawer and taking care of the dirty sheets, she rushed through her shower. Why was Chad still home? Had he been that worried? With everything taken care of, she ducked into his room and touched his forehead lightly. Yes, he had a fever. She couldn't very well cancel classes at the dojo for the day to take care of him, could she? Grabbing her schedule sheets off the fridge, she scanned it. She only had two classes today, and if she worked a little late she could catch them up within the week... Yes, that would work. Calling her assistant, she worked out the new schedule and then headed into the bathroom, running a washcloth under the faucet and then wringing it out. "Rest." She muttered as she laid the cool cloth across Chad's forehead.

He was still fast asleep, so by her calculations, she had a few hours to spend alone with her _dear_ Aunt Flo.

Someone really needed to have a talk with _dear_ Aunt Flo about visiting on time.

* * *

A/N: I'm almost done editing the whole thing, and then I'll just be posting the chapters whenever I get a chance. And thank you so much to everyone who's been reviewing! You make my day, honestly. So, what do you think so far?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit off of this.

* * *

Tatsuki spent the next few hours on the couch, the TV muted so she knew if Chad was awake. She did wake him up once; to be sure he had called into work. She didn't want him to be fired for no call no show. But he had called in earlier that morning, so everything was fine. Tatsuki had never felt she was much of a caretaker; she was more of a defender, but when the shit hit the fan, she was prepared to at least try to care for someone. Opening the door to Chad's room to check on him again, she mulled over what she had wanted as a child. Someone to defend... defend from what exactly? At the time, she'd been so jealous of Ichigo; he had his little sisters to defend. But that was a childish want; to want a little brother or sister... and there was something else she had wanted. She just couldn't remember, and it drove her nuts. Exhausted, she perched herself on the bed next to Chad to touch his forehead again. His fever was definitely going down – a good thing, because if he had to go to the hospital and he was like this, her only way to get him there would be calling 911. Tatsuki liked to consider herself pretty strong, but she was not that strong. Chad opened one eye slowly, and Tatsuki grinned. "Hey, how you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Chad looked at her questioningly, and Tatsuki knew he wasn't going to just come out and ask it. What was it with men sometimes? Geez.

"Guess what?" Tatsuki grinned, though she was exhausted. "I'm not pregnant. For sure." Leaning down, she kissed his cheek softly. "But thanks for not abandoning me when I thought I was, though. That means a lot to me." And that was putting it mildly. It meant the world to her that Chad had stuck by her even though she had accidentally turned his world upside-down and ass-backwards in the course of one sentence. Was Chad blushing? It was hard to tell in the lights-off, shades pulled darkness of the room. Wanting to test that theory – if he was, then why? – She studied him. "Mind if I hang out in here for a while? I don't want to sit out in the living room and..." _and worry about you._ Now it was Tatsuki who was blushing. She sat there for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts and figure out when she became such a sap. "Anyway, do you mind if I do?" Chad just shook his head, and moved over to make room for her. Tatsuki stayed where she was, not fully trusting herself to lay with him, or even sure that was what he was implying.

"I don't bite." Chad mumbled, and yes, Tatsuki could tell, he was blushing. Just a bit, but still enough for her to notice.

"I know you don't." It was the only coherent response Tatsuki could come up with at the moment. Then again, her back ached, and lying down _would_ help... No. She wouldn't do that. "How do you feel?" Tatsuki touched Chad's cheek gently, still worrying over the remnants of a fever. At this rate she could very well turn into a caretaker, especially if worrying was a main component.

"Fine." Chad brushed his hair out of his face, and Tatsuki swore it was one of very few times she'd seen all of his face at once. "Do you trust me?" Chad's voice had gone softer now, and Tatsuki jolted a bit at the soft-toned intensity of it.

"Of course!" Tatsuki's breath hitched even as she narrowed her eyes. What was not to trust about Chad? "Why do you ask?" Even back when Ichigo had introduced her to Chad, back in high school, she'd known there was no danger.

"Then lay down." Chad stared at her, and Tatsuki blinked. This was _Chad._ It wasn't that she didn't trust him; it was that she didn't trust herself worth a damn. If... if something happened with Chad, she didn't want him to be rebound. Still, she tried to ignore her heartbeat-thunder in her ears, and lay beside him.

"I'll cook tonight." Tatsuki felt like she needed to alleviate awkwardness, but this wasn't as awkward as it should've been.

"You don't have to." Chad rolled on his side and his hair fell into his eyes again. _Damn._ Tatsuki jolted a bit at her own thoughts, why was she disappointed?

"You shouldn't have to." Tatsuki bit back her temper as best as she could. "I'll do it." Chad just nodded at that, and Tatsuki felt a little triumphant. "I'll get on that in a few minutes." Tatsuki propped herself on her elbow. "Anything you want specifically?" Chad shook his head. Great, she'd made him clam up. Laying her head on the pillow, she closed her eyes. She was tired, and maybe she could fall asleep here for a while... but she could feel Chad watching her, so probably not. Her cell phone jangled from the pocket of her sweatshirt, and she pulled it out. The caller ID estimated a tongue lashing of epic proportions. "Hello, Rukia."

"You didn't know he was still with me?" Rukia was obviously trying to remain calm, but her tone wavered, and her voice sounded raw, as if she'd been crying. "You didn't know at all?" Rukia coughed a bit, evidently trying to clear her throat.

"He told me he left you. That it was over." Tatsuki sat up, holding her cell close. "What reason did I have to think he was lying? He was my best friend for years. I believed almost anything that came out of his mouth." She paused. "Usually I knew when he was lying."

"I don't blame you." Rukia had regained her composure, at least for the moment. "I blame him. He had us both fooled."

"Thank you." Tatsuki took a deep breath. "Do you want to talk about anything else, Rukia?" She'd gotten a lot less rage than expected, and she was both a little happy about this and worried about Rukia. If she didn't let it out at her, where would the anger go?

"No. I just needed that. Goodbye." Rukia hung up before Tatsuki had time to attempt a goodbye. That was it; there was too much hate, self-hate, and tears in Tatsuki's heart right now. She moved just a bit closer to Chad, resisting the urge to cry or do anything _else_ she might regret. Neither of them spoke, or even moved for several minutes. Then, slowly, Chad draped an arm over her. Tatsuki closed her eyes, liking the weight of it against her ribs. The fact that yes, someone cared, and that someone was right here, made her feel worlds better.

"Thank you." Tatsuki whispered, as her body relaxed. She was tired, heartbroken all over again, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep for a while, right here, with Chad's arm over her. "I'll wake up in about thirty minutes and start cooking, ok?" Tatsuki wasn't sure whether she got a nod or not, but in her sleepy haze, she cuddled right up to Chad and drifted off.

Chad couldn't help the soft smile that came over his features.

* * *

Tatsuki woke up with her face against Chad's chest. He smelled like soap, with a hint of sweat. Tatsuki took a quick inventory, were her clothes on? Yes. Ok, now she remembered how she had gotten here. It looked like Chad was still asleep, so there wasn't much rush on dinner. His hand was between her shoulder blades, keeping her close. This... it was wonderful. Ichigo had never been much of a cuddly guy, and looking back, Tatsuki was glad he wasn't. Less to miss, really. Closing her eyes, she yawned. Out of the blue, a thought drifted towards her, and at first she wasn't quite sure where it had come from.

_Someone to defend, to love, and to have each other's backs. That's what I want._

Tatsuki blinked the sleep from her eyes. That was what she had wanted as a child. A real romance that was a friendship too. Looking up at Chad, she couldn't help but wonder. Was it possible? Would he want her like that? More so, did she want him like that?

For once, Tatsuki wished Orihime weren't quite so busy.

* * *

"Now do you want to talk?" Taya asked as Tatsuki followed her into the nursery. Again, Mizuiro was at work. After all, it was only one in the afternoon. Tatsuki had managed to get off work a little early, her classes had been in the morning and her assistant could handle anything else that needed to be done. "You seemed really upset the other day."

"Do you know what happened with Ichigo, Rukia and I?" Tatsuki peered into the crib at little Kami – who had her Mother's appearance with Mizuiro's eyes. When Taya shook her head, Tatsuki explained. "So, after all that happened, I had a pregnancy scare. I was standing there holding Kami when I realized I was late." Tatsuki sighed. "I got my period, everything is fine, but now I have... other problems." Saying boy problems would make it sound so school-girlish and trivial, but Tatsuki wasn't sure how else to phrase it. "Guy problems."

"What kind of guy problems?" Taya leaned in and scooped Kami up. "The serious kind where your ex is stalking you, or the lovey-dovey kind?" Tatsuki snorted, sure, Ichigo was stupid enough to cheat, but not enough to stalk her.

"The lovey-dovey kind, if that's what we're calling it." Tatsuki heaved a sigh. "It's... It's Chad. I've been having all these...strange... thoughts about him. I don't like it, but I haven't liked anyone besides Ichigo in a really long time. And... Above all, I don't want to hurt him if I don't. He's the best friend I've ever had considering all we've been through together in the past few weeks, and I don't want to lose him."

"Tatsuki." Taya's face was grave, but her eyes had a glint to them. "I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer with pure honesty. Understand?" Tatsuki should've laughed, but she couldn't make herself do it. Instead, she just gave Taya a brief nod. "Question one." Taya spoke even as she changed Kami's diaper. "Does you breath catch when you make eye contact with him?"

"Yes." Tatsuki flashed back to the way her breath had hitched when he had asked her if she trusted him. Taya gave her a brief look that all but screamed _one out of one. _

"Ok. Now, do you like it a lot when he touches you?" Taya finished changing Kami's diaper and handed the baby to Tatsuki while she stepped into the bathroom to wash her hands. "Ignore the obvious sexual implications, I didn't mean it that way." She called back. Tatsuki could practically hear her mutter _this time._

"Obvious sexual implications aside? Yes." Tatsuki stared down at the baby in her arms. "Your Dad might have a fit when you get into this kind of trouble."

"Nah, he'll take it in stride." Taya laughed. "Anyway, back to my pop quiz." She waggled a finger at Tatsuki for trying to avoid it. "Do you feel safe with him, even in bad situations?"

Tatsuki knew the answer to this all too well. Chad, leaning over her profusely bleeding finger, she didn't mind at all. Chad, sitting with her in the ER while they stitched up her finger, didn't bother her. Chad, hugging her close while she thought she was knocked up by Ichigo, maybe everything would be alright. "Yes." She sighed, trying to wipe the guilty look off her face.

"Descriptive answer." Taya eased her daughter out of Tatsuki's arms. "Tell me some of these strange thoughts you've been having?"

Tatsuki blushed. _She blushed. _What the hell was happening to her these days? "None of it leaves this room?"

"Not a word." Taya smiled. "Everything said here is strictly confidential."

"I keep wondering... if it's even possible." Tatsuki leaned against the wall. "Would he like me that way? Do I like him that way? Is he holding me because he feels bad for me or something _else_?" She frowned a bit. "Is that everything?"

"Congrats, honey, passed with flying colors. You like Chad." Taya grinned. "I can tell you that unless you fall off your cookie, you're not going to hurt him by not loving him the way you think you do. Go for it."

"Yeah, yeah, I should." Tatsuki grinned. "Thanks."

Taya laughed and nodded towards the door. "You go get 'em girl." Then she perched herself in the rocking chair and began to rock Kami.

Tatsuki ducked out of the house without another word.

* * *

A/N: And that's the last chapter for tonight, I believe. I finished editing the story completely, so updates should go smoothly from here on out. What'd you think?


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit off of this.

* * *

Upon arriving home, Tatsuki found the door unlocked. Chad shouldn't be home for another twenty minutes, was everything alright? Stepping inside, she shut the door... and realized something was really wrong. The apartment had been ransacked, everything was everywhere. It didn't look like anything had been stolen – the TV was still in place, anyway. Tatsuki took another step and glanced around. It really just looked trashed, nothing else.

A leather-gloved hand slipped over her mouth from behind. Oh, they just did not know who they were messing with, did they? Taking a second to prepare herself, she rammed one elbow into the person's kidneys, and the other hand into their throat. It wasn't strictly martial arts, but hell; she was not going to let herself be kidnapped or worse.

The person fell to the ground, gasping. It was a tall male, and though she didn't recognize him, she'd bet anything it was Chad they had something against. Lunging for the phone, she dialed 911. She wasn't sure how much damage she had done, or how soon he'd be able to get up, but the sooner police got here, the better.

At least this time the police were quick. The man hadn't even managed to get up by the time they made it up to the apartment. One police officer stayed behind, asking Tatsuki a slew of questions.

"Did you know the intruder?" The policewoman asked, tapping a pen against a pad of paper. "Is he an old boyfriend of yours, maybe?"

"I didn't recognize him at all." Tatsuki frowned at the door, when would Chad be home? This had turned into a rather long day, and she wanted to stop answering questions. She knew it was important to get the facts straight, but she'd had enough of standing here, in the chaotic apartment, feeling on edge.

"Did he hurt you? Do you want to press assault charges?" The policewoman gave her a sympathetic look, like she was sorry. Tatsuki gave her a little smile, it was this woman's job, she couldn't really blame her.

"No, I'm fine." Tatsuki sighed. "My roommate should be home any minute, and he might have some more information for you. Can I make you some coffee or something?"

"I'm alright." The policewoman laughed. "But, off the record, can I ask you something?" Tatsuki nodded, and the woman eyed her. "Weren't you scared, Miss Arisawa?"

"A little." Tatsuki admitted with a small laugh. "But I've been in martial arts training since I was a little kid, and I've helped direct a few self-defense classes, so I can handle myself."

"Good thing too. A lot of things could've happened if you hadn't." The policewoman turned as the door opened, and Tatsuki gave Chad an apologetic look. "Sado Yasutora, I presume?" The police officer blinked up at him.

Chad nodded, but stepped over to Tatsuki and hugged her tightly. "Are you alright? I saw the police car..."

"I'm fine. Takes more than this to upset me!" Tatsuki laughed, but couldn't help snuggling against Chad a little. "Here, can you talk to the policewoman while I see if anything is missing? I didn't get to do a thorough search yet." Chad nodded, and Tatsuki reluctantly slipped out of his arms to search the apartment.

Tatsuki listened to them talk for a moment as she searched the apartment. Her room didn't even look like it had been touched, but Chad's was a mess. Again, it just looked ransacked, maybe out of anger? That said, drawers were thrown across the room – A few splintered beyond repair – The mattress was flipped off the bed, with the sheets torn into shreds. Upon further inspection, the mattress had either ripped or been cut in half, but the random slashes still made Tatsuki think anger rather than looking for something. The closet was untouched, which furthered that belief. If someone – that guy - really had been out to get Chad, she was sorry she hadn't done more damage. All the anger boiling inside of her made her eyes tear up, and she swiped at them, embarrassed.

"Is anything missing?" The policewoman called from the living room.

"I can't tell. They didn't touch my room..." Tatsuki glanced around the room, but how could she tell? She had never been in here, never looked for something in here. "Chad? Can you come see if anything's gone?"

Chad slipped into the room, the police officer in tow. His eyes wide at the first view of it, he slowly started to go through everything. After a couple moments of slow, careful searching, he shook his head. "Nothing is gone."

"Well, I think I've got everything I need." The woman gave the two a grimace of a smile. "You can come down to the police station in a bit and tell me if that's who you think it is."

Chad nodded, and then pulled Tatsuki into another hug. Tatsuki wanted to stop him, to say she didn't need to be coddled, but then she thought that maybe he needed it. Closing her eyes as the front door closed, she wrapped her arms around Chad, standing in the room that looked like it had been turned upside down.

* * *

Later, they spent a few hours trying to clean up the apartment. Apart from nearly everything in Chad's bedroom, nothing appeared broken in the rest of the house, so cleaning up wasn't a major problem. Still, Tatsuki found herself asking where everything went – funny how long she'd been in this place and she still didn't know for sure. Pausing to check the _Carnivore Kingdom _DVDs – that she had found lying loose on the carpet – for scratches, she looked up at Chad. "Why don't you sleep in my room with me?"

Chad looked at her in surprise, studying her silently for a moment. "Do you want me to?" He asked after a long piece of silence.

"It's not like we haven't slept next to each other before." Tatsuki shrugged. "You can't sleep on that ripped mattress. And you're not sleeping on the couch." She dug around on the floor for a minute, and then retrieved the case for the _Carnivore Kingdom_ DVDs. After a slight pause, she added, "It will be good for both of us after the day we've had."

"It was someone from work." Chad sighed. "Someone who was angry that I got a promotion." He went silent after that, and Tatsuki ran her teeth over her bottom lip in anger.

"What are they doing about it?" Tatsuki asked, but Chad just shrugged. Sighing, Tatsuki continued to help him clean up.

"I'm glad you're alright." Chad muttered after a moment. Tatsuki looked up and grinned at him.

"Don't ever worry about me, you got that? I can handle myself." Tatsuki plunked down on the couch to take a breather. "I was more worried about you coming home and getting hurt than actually getting hurt myself though." Chad shook his head, but said nothing. "Come sit with me for a minute." It wasn't a question. Chad hesitated, and then picked his way across the room, sinking onto the couch beside her. "Now look at me." Tatsuki gently guided his face towards her. "I'm a big girl, Chad. I've trained in martial arts since I was a kid, and now I teach it. I can handle myself in these kinds of situations. You don't need to worry about me; I can handle myself. Promise." Tatsuki paused, realizing how he might take that. "I like living with you. I like knowing I have someone who will be there for me, ok?" She grinned. "And I'm here for you. But physical situations like that? I'll be ok. So don't worry about me, got it?"

Chad blinked at her for a moment, and then wrapped her up in a hug. "I will. I'll always worry about my friends." Tatsuki blinked, leaning against him. She could tell this was a battle she wouldn't win, so... why wasn't she angry or upset? As much as she'd deny it, it was a good feeling to know someone would worry about her.

"Hey, Chad? I need to talk to you." Tatsuki squirmed and looked up at him. "It's important." Worry flashed through Chad's eyes – of which, she could see both at such a close range, but she wouldn't lose her resolve. "I have feelings for you. Of the... romantic kind." Chad's arms tightened around her just a bit, and Tatsuki wasn't sure if she had upset him or if he had given her a reassuring squeeze. "It's alright if you don't feel the same way, I just..." Tatsuki tensed; ready to move away if he wanted her to, but instead, one of Chad's arms tightened around her, and then a big, gentle hand came under her chin. A million worries came through Tatsuki's mind in two seconds flat, but when Chad's lips touched hers, everything else shot from her mind. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss didn't last nearly long enough for her, but the look in Chad's eyes when they separated was enough to make her heart flutter in her chest.

"Sorry... for not telling you." Chad mumbled. Tatsuki couldn't resist a laugh, though she felt like crying out of relief.

"Actually, you had excellent timing." Just in time for her to figure things out and be ready to tell him, he had met with her halfway. It had turned out surprisingly perfect, really. Leaning against him, she smiled. The apartment was a mess, and she was exhausted with it all, but today had turned out surprisingly well, considering.

But where did they go from here?

* * *

A/N: Thank you to my loyal reviewers! So, what did everyone think?


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit off of this.

* * *

"Yeah, I'm going to the hospital now." Tatsuki sighed into her cell phone. Her assistant, Sen, was in the driver's seat. "If you want to meet me there, you can, if not, I'm hoping to be out in a few hours." Tatsuki glanced at her quickly swelling ankle, telling herself to ignore the agony.

"I'll meet you there." Chad told her before hanging up.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Arisawa!" Sen was nearly in tears. "I should've told you there was a weak floorboard, this is all my fault, you can fire me if you want-"

"Sen. Shh." Tatsuki took a deep breath and fought the urge to pry her shoe off. They'd probably be cutting the damned thing off, but if she had to walk into the ER, she was damn well not doing it barefoot. "I know you have other things on your mind, ok? I'm not going to fire you." Tatsuki paused. "Thank you for not calling 911. That wouldn't look good for me."

"I'm so sorry." Sen whispered. "You can dock my pay for what the ER bill is if you want-"

"Sen, SHH." Tatsuki sighed. "While I'm out of the office, you can fix the floorboards, and then we never speak of this again. Deal?"

Sen nodded, inching the car along in the traffic. After ten minutes, the cars got moving again, and Sen eased the car into the ER parking lot, where Chad was standing near the ER doors. "Well, at least he's here." Tatsuki undid her seatbelt as Sen rammed the car into park. "Hey, Chad!" She called as brightly as she could as she opened the car door. When she gingerly set her foot on the pavement, she tried to think painless thoughts, but the second she put weight on her left foot, she sucked in her breath and sat down on the car seat again. Ok, she had a lot of pain tolerance, but that _hurt. _Chad sprinted over to her and scooped her up, and Tatsuki had no room to protest.

As Chad carried her into the ER, he ducked down and kissed her forehead once. Tatsuki blushed, but kept quiet. Seemed she was making up for all the ER trips she hadn't had in the past few years. Sen was fighting to keep pace with Chad. The ER waiting room was barren, and it only took them a few minutes to get put into a room. Tatsuki studied Sen as Chad laid her on the examination table.

"Sen, you can go back and take care of things at the dojo." Tatsuki made a shooing motion at her assistant. "Classes won't be in today, you'll need to call everyone, and deal with those floorboards, and rearranging the classes for this week..." Oh, there was so much to do, and all her classes would be behind until she could at least make it on crutches. "Please, go do that. Chad and I can catch a taxi home." Sen gave her a worried look. "Go. Now." Tatsuki urged, and Sen finally exited the room.

"Well, Miss Arisawa, this is the second visit in a short time period." The ER doctor – evidently the same one as when she had come in with the cut – came into the room. "Is everything alright at home?" The doctor eyed Chad.

"Yeah, just making up for lost time apparently. I went years without an ER trip, so I guess that's all it is." She knew what that doctor was likely thinking, and to fix that, she grabbed Chad's hand tightly. The doctor looked at their hands and then focused on getting Tatsuki's shoe and sock of.

"Well, I'd say you need an x-ray. It could be just a bad sprain, but I want to be on the safe side." The doctor sighed.

Tatsuki grumbled under her breath, but allowed herself to be hauled off to the correct room.

* * *

"It's just a sprain." Tatsuki muttered, but Chad was busy propping her foot up on some extra pillows. "Chad, I'm ok. Chad!" Nothing seemed to deter him. Here he was, positioning the bag of ice on her ankle, acting like she needed to be cared for. She'd had worse than this, and she'd lived through it. Tatsuki didn't enjoy being babied.

"Sorry." Chad mumbled, but he didn't sound like he meant it. A loud ringing stopped their near-argument, and Chad retrieved her purse. Tatsuki sighed, but gave him a smile and dug out her phone.

"Hey, Rukia." Tatsuki listened to silence for a moment. "Rukia, you there?"

"I need to talk to someone and Orihime's line is busy." Rukia's voice shook. "Can I talk to you?" Tatsuki immediately felt bad for her, just like in her life, so many things had gone wrong for Rukia.

"Sure, what do you need to talk about?" Tatsuki glanced at Chad, and he exited the room, shutting the door most of the way. He knew, he always knew. Tatsuki felt horrible for yelling at him moments before, he was so nice and she'd been mad at him for it.

"I missed my period." Rukia sighed heavily. "I think I'm pregnant. And I've only ever... with Ichigo."

"Did you take a pregnancy test?" Tatsuki knew what she was going through, she'd gone through it earlier that month. Silence answered her, nothing else. "Rukia, you need to take a pregnancy test."

"I did." Rukia swallowed hard. "It came up positive."

"What are you going to do?" Tatsuki was on dangerous ground here, after all, she'd been through it – until she got her delayed period. She couldn't imagine what Rukia was going through.

"Go home, I guess. See if Nii-sama will help me out." Rukia sighed again. "That baby is mine, not Ichigo's. He doesn't deserve to raise a child after what he did to us." Tatsuki wasn't sure if Rukia meant the child and herself, or her and Rukia, or maybe all three of them.

"It's really not my place to say, so you should do what you think is right." Tatsuki didn't mean to shirk the responsibility of helping Rukia, but she didn't have a clue what to say. Ichigo had hurt the two women, and Tatsuki knew that if she had been pregnant, she wouldn't have let Ichigo near the child, not after all the hurt she'd been through. But that would be being selfish, wouldn't it?

"Thank you for talking to me. Goodbye." Rukia hung up before Tatsuki had the chance to say goodbye. Well, she felt like hell now, but she'd bet anything that Rukia felt worse.

"Chad?" She called, though she hated the very idea of this. She didn't like ratting her friends out, but maybe this would be for the best. Chad appeared in the doorway, and Tatsuki sighed. She'd long since deleted the number from her phone, but she'd bet that Chad had it. "I need Ichigo's number. It's important." Chad blinked, but tossed her his phone. "Thank you. Mind if I call him on your phone then? He probably won't pick up if I call him on mine." Chad shook his head and studied her for a moment before leaning over her to kiss her briefly. Tatsuki's stomach did a pleasant flip, and she grinned at him, almost forgetting what she had to do. Rukia wouldn't like it, but she was telling Ichigo anyway, and Chad was a wonderful secret keeper. "Here, sit with me while I call him. For moral support." Chad sat down, and then lay beside her, being obviously careful not to bump her ankle. Tatsuki dialed, and once she was sure it was Ichigo who had picked up, she said, "Rukia's pregnant. I just thought maybe you would want to know, Ichigo, since it's yours."

Ichigo swore loudly on the other end of the line, and then hung up. Tatsuki wasn't sure what that meant, but she could hope.

"Are you alright?" Chad waited until she hung up, and then set both phones on the nightstand. They'd been sleeping in the same room for nearly two weeks now, since the break-in, but they hadn't gotten intimate yet, choosing to wait a while.

"Yeah." Tatsuki tried to laugh. "I should really stay out of my friends' business." Moving a little, she laid her head on Chad's chest, closing her eyes. "You're a million times better than he ever was, probably more."

"Thanks." Chad draped an arm over Tatsuki's middle. Then, softer, "I love you."

Tatsuki blinked, and though she was blushing, a grin came across her face. "I love you too." She'd wondered when that would come up, but she'd been ready to say it for almost a week and a half.

"You should get some rest." Chad sat up, only to lean over her and kiss her softly, just once.

"I don't want to rest." Tatsuki couldn't help smirking a bit. "Chad..." Leaning up, she kissed him again, pulling him down over her. At first Chad protested, something about her ankle, to which Tatsuki replied that they'd be careful of it. Eventually, Chad relented, and Tatsuki found herself making love with someone who actually cared.

* * *

"Can you walk on it?" Chad was busy trying to help Tatsuki get ready for her first day back to work, but he seemed to be worrying more than getting ready for work himself.

"With the brace, I'm fine." Tatsuki sighed, knowing she'd be taking that helpful brace off soon, and cramming her foot into some high-top sneakers so she could work normally, or try to. She likely would be quite the sight for a few days until she could get back to normal, but she'd make it work. She couldn't not be at the dojo for long, she ran it after all, and while Sen tried, she just couldn't run the classes as well. Tatsuki didn't like to brag, but Sen had more trouble handling the kids than anything else anyway.

"Tatsuki...?" Chad studied her, his eyes worried. Moments later, Tatsuki found herself bolting for the bathroom, pain in ankle be damned. Slamming the door, because she did not want to be watched, she found herself throwing up into the toilet. Sitting on the floor afterwards, she mentally went over a list of what she had eaten, but came up with nothing unusual that would've made her sick. Carefully retrieving the thermometer from the cabinet – and damn, did her ankle hurt now – she took her temperature. Minutes later, it beeped. No fever, doubtful it was food poisoning... Tatsuki lay on the bathroom floor. Really? Was she really pregnant? After all they'd gone through when she thought she was pregnant with Ichigo's baby?

"How did I get so stupid?" Tatsuki sighed, and then eased herself onto her feet to rinse her mouth out at the sink and flush the toilet. Hesitantly she opened the door to find Chad standing there, looking worried. _Damn it, _they'd just said "I love you" weeks before, and here she was, facing another possible pregnancy. Refusing to cry, she hugged Chad tightly, saying nothing, hoping he could take a wild guess.

"You've still got the pregnancy test?" Chad asked softly, but he didn't sound angry. Well, he was smart enough to know it took two, though Tatsuki still felt like it was her fault.

"Yeah." Tatsuki nodded, her face in his shirt. For once in her life, she was scared to look up at one of her friends. "I'll go see what the instructions say and..."

"Are you still going to work?" Chad leaned down and kissed her hair once. "If you are..." Tatsuki knew what was coming. If she was pregnant, she damn well better not be heading up the classes. Even with protective gear, a pregnant woman shouldn't be teaching a martial arts class. She knew it, and she wouldn't argue. With some instructions, and someone to keep the kids in line, Tatsuki could help Sen teach the class. It would work out alright.

"I'm going to work. I'll help Sen teach instead of teaching myself if I don't know for sure. Or... if I am." Tatsuki looked up at Chad. "Are you angry?"

"Never." Chad breathed, holding her closer. Tatsuki relaxed slightly, though she still felt guilty. "Do you want something to eat or..."

"I think I'm skipping breakfast, just to be safe." Tatsuki stepped back slightly. "But let me go look at the pregnancy test." Tatsuki offered him a tired grin – this was unexpected, though not totally unwelcome. She loved Chad, more than she'd ever loved Ichigo. He meant more to her than Ichigo ever had, or could've. Finding the pregnancy test in her sock drawer, she went into the bathroom and next came the moment of truth.

* * *

A/N: Thanks goes to everyone who's been reviewing and favoriting and following! Just a reminder, the story is fully edited now, so updates should be going fairly smoothly still. Fairly smoothly. What'd you think?


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit off of this

A/N: Dedication goes to Kohyru for all his help tonight! Thank you!

* * *

"What does it say?" Chad hovered over Tatsuki, his eyes unreadable. He really didn't seem angry, or even upset, though shocked was a definite possibility. It would make a lot of sense on why she couldn't read him at all; the barriers were up.

"It has a minute left." Tatsuki took a deep breath. All she could think about was that it was way too soon for this, but maybe it would be ok anyway. Her job at the dojo... She could run things from the background for nine months, couldn't she? As long as the kids knew that Sen was the authority for that long, it would be ok, right? How on earth had she been so stupid though? One pregnancy scare wasn't enough to make her think these things through? Ok, well, on the bright side, her relationship with Chad was more stable than her and Ichigo's relationship had ever been, and Chad... he would never cheat on her or abuse her love for him. Still, the tensions were rising inside Tatsuki's mind.

As if he sensed this, Chad leaned down over the back of the couch and kissed her temple. "I'm not going anywhere." He mumbled, and Tatsuki took a deep breath. Reaching over the back of the couch, she grabbed his hand. Chad's fingers folded over hers, enveloping her hand completely. She kind of wished she could hide like that, but right now, that was not an option.

Slowly, she flipped the pregnancy test over...and across the screen, plain and simple, read, _YES._ Chad didn't squeeze her hand, even, when he saw it, and Tatsuki realized that either he truly didn't mind or he wasn't shocked, maybe both.

"We're cool with this?" Tatsuki asked in an – for her – unusually small voice. She was having a baby. Though, having Chad's baby was preferable to having Ichigo's, the pregnancy scare that had scared her so horribly.

Chad made a noise that was probably equal to "yes" or "yeah" and wrapped an arm around her. His arm across her collarbone, he snuggled her, pressing a kiss to her hair. Tatsuki couldn't believe this, she guessed that reality wouldn't become _her_ reality for a while, but right now, she was content to be cuddled. She could be a little late to work, if she could just have another moment – or a few – of this.

After trading a few more gentle cuddles and kisses, they both headed off to work. Money had to be made to make this work, after all.

* * *

"Hey, Orihime." Tatsuki felt like crying as she spoke into the phone, but actually starting to cry would be a whole other matter. "I know you're busy, but I need to talk to you. Call me back when you get this, ok?" Tatsuki hung up, putting her head down on the desk. It wasn't Orihime's fault that she was caught up with wedding planning; it was a huge thing. But Tatsuki was beginning to feel a little ignored, something that Orihime had never allowed her to feel before.

"Tatsuki." Sen hovered in front of the desk, holding a steaming cup of tea. "Ginger tea. It will help with the nausea, and then I thought I could go and get you something to eat from wherever you liked."

"Sen, if you're still upset about the floorboard thing, I don't want you trying to make up for it." Tatsuki eyed the ginger tea hopefully though. "I'm not mad."

"You look down. Is something going on?" Sen set the tea on Tatsuki's desk. "Sip it. It'll calm your stomach."

"My best friend that I've had since childhood is just busy." Tatsuki took a sip of the tea before setting it back on her desk. "I wanted to tell her about the pregnancy as soon as possible but I've been trying to call her all day, and I can't get a hold of her."

"When classes are over, I could drive you to her home." Sen mumbled. "I don't like seeing you so sad. A baby is a wonderful thing to have in your life if... everything is ok with your boyfriend, right?"

"Other than the shock of a pregnancy, yes." Tatsuki managed a laugh, and it felt surprisingly genuine. "We love each other and we're great. We're still kind of in the 'Whoa, really?' stage, I guess." That was putting it lightly, really. When she had seen the yes on the screen of the pregnancy test, her whole mind had sputtered to a stop. She paused. "Would you drive me to Orihime's house? I'd walk but it's a ways away from here."

"Anything for my wonderful boss!" Sen perked up. "But first, lunch. What do you want?" Tatsuki sighed, but smiled. Sen was unrelenting, as usual, but for once it was pleasant rather than exasperating. Tatsuki told her something from the deli just around the block – it was convenient and actually just what she wanted. Sen darted out of the room, and Tatsuki eyed her phone. It was Orihime, what would one more call hurt? It rang four times, but then Orihime came on the line.

"Tatsuki! Listen, can you tell everyone that I have to go to Soul Society for a while? Renji...He's..." Orihime's voice cracked, and Tatsuki felt a throbbing in her chest. Orihime cried so rarely, it always hurt when she did. "He's hurt pretty badly, and I need to be there. So I'm going. The wedding is on hold... indefinitely." Orihime sniffled.

"You go to him, then!" Tatsuki tried to sound encouraging. "Don't worry about the wedding, we'll work on everything when you get back, ok? Be with Renji, where you're needed right now." Now was not the time to tell Orihime about the pregnancy, it just wasn't. Tatsuki swallowed the words and bit back her frustrations. How badly could Renji be hurt though?

"Thank you for understanding, Tatsuki." Orihime cleared her throat. "I'm sure everything will be ok. I'll be back as soon as possible. I have to go now, bye."

"See ya, Orihime." Tatsuki shut her cell phone and downed the lukewarm tea. Her stomach didn't rebel as she thought it might, and she stepped into the training area. So far, her life had revolved around two things: her friends, and her martial arts. Now, martial arts was going to have to take a backseat to baby. Touching her stomach gently, she tried not to worry so much.

* * *

"Are you nervous?" Chad sat with Tatsuki in the doctor's waiting room a week later. Tatsuki found she could barely stay awake; she was leaning on Chad, drifting in and out of sleep. That was beyond frustrating, but the closeness... she could appreciate that.

"A little." Though her first reaction would've been '_do I look nervous?_' But she didn't want to sound rude. It was however amusing that Chad would ask her that while she was sleeping on his shoulder.

"Miss Arisawa?" A nurse stood over them, and before Tatsuki even opened her eyes, she knew the woman was smiling. "This way." She took a step back, and Chad reached over, as if he was going to pick Tatsuki up.

"Hey. Chad. No. Just help me up, I'm not that tired." Tatsuki laughed a little. "I'm ok, alright? Don't baby me." The nurse nearly dissolved into giggles.

"You two seem like a very loving couple." She said earnestly. "This way, it's not too long a walk, I promise."

Tatsuki grabbed Chad's hand, leading him. Her ankle still had a little of a bite to it when she put her foot down, but it wasn't enough of a problem that she had to wear the brace anymore. When they drew her blood, Chad silently insisted on holding her free hand, despite that Tatsuki just grinned and rolled her eyes when the needle sank into her arm.

The blood test came back positive, like Tatsuki knew it would, and, with a laundry list of things to do and not to do, they were sent home with orders to return in a month to check everything out again. Tatsuki was exhausted, the only symptom of pregnancy that she didn't handle well. As someone who had easily been loud, vibrant and energetic her whole life, this was a whole other thing being tired all the time.

"I'm so glad I'm having a baby with _you._" Tatsuki squeezed Chad's hand as he unlocked the apartment door. "I couldn't ask for anyone better." She paused to take off her coat and shoes. "Do you think Orihime and Renji are alright?"

"Renji's tough." Chad mumbled, holding onto Tatsuki for a moment before heading to the kitchen. "What about Rukia?" Tatsuki pressed her lips together. She hadn't heard from Rukia or Ichigo since she ratted Rukia out to Ichigo. Though she didn't expect Ichigo to talk to her anyway.

"I hope they're ok." Tatsuki sighed, referring to Rukia and the baby inside of Rukia. "She's probably not very happy with me, but I think I did the right thing, don't you?"

Chad nodded silently, and then glanced at Tatsuki, studying her. "I'll cook, why don't you take a nap?" He started to get into the fridge, and Tatsuki was set to argue, but then gave up. He wouldn't back down, and it would be ridiculous to pick a fight over something that small. As a compromise, she settled on the couch, closing her eyes. Chad stepped over to her, pulling the throw blanket over her, and Tatsuki smiled up at him.

"Thanks." She grabbed his hand and kissed it before letting him return to the kitchen.

Ok, so this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

Two weeks later, Tatsuki saw her best friend for the first time in what felt like forever. "Orihime!" She hugged her tightly, though she was being careful of her stomach. "Is Renji doing alright?"

"They released him from the Fourth and he's finishing up healing at my house!" Orihime's eyes were bright. "He needs about two more weeks to recuperate completely, so he'll be with me. Isn't it great?"

"Wonderful." Tatsuki grinned. "I've got good news too." She could finally count it as good news too, because the more time that passed, the more excited she got about the baby.

"What is it?" Orihime bounced onto her toes, grinning right back. It was like they'd never been apart, and Tatsuki hoped that it could always be that way between them, time or distance never mattering to their friendship.

"I'm pregnant!" Tatsuki watched as Orihime's eyes went wide and she gasped, a smile replacing the shocked look quickly. "It's Chad's." Tatsuki touched her stomach gently.

"That's fantastic!" Orihime hugged her again, and this time they were both being careful of Tatsuki's stomach. "I'm so glad you found someone and you're going to have a baby!" Blinking, Orihime paused, sobering up fast. "Did you know Rukia is having a baby too? She's back in Soul Society. Ichigo is the father, I guess, but they're not together anymore." Worry seemed to take over Orihime's features. "Do you think she'll be ok?"

"She's got family there, right?" Tatsuki thought for a minute. "Yeah, I think she'll be ok." Orihime smiled, willing and ready to believe it.

"Well, I have to finish shopping, so I'll see you later, ok, Tatsuki?" Orihime gave Tatsuki one last hug. "I'm so happy for you!" The orange-haired girl flashed her best friend one more smile before hurrying off to get her groceries.

Tatsuki blinked, trying to think what she was here for. That had been a pleasant surprise, though, and she was glad that Renji would be alright.

Ok, she had told Orihime, now she could be _really _excited.

* * *

A/N: Last chapter for tonight! What'd you think?


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the late update, everyone! Fiction writing is getting in the way now that I'm actually writing original fiction again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit off of this.

* * *

"I had to close the dojo for the day, I'm sorry!" Sen was practically blubbering into the phone. "My sister's in the hospital and there's no one to watch my nieces and nephew, and I'm so sorry, Tatsuki..."

"Shhh." Tatsuki sighed. "According to my schedule, you only had one more class anyway, and we can reschedule that to Friday, where we don't have any classes, it's ok, honestly." Tatsuki glanced at the schedule she'd pulled out of her purse and then at the door. The ultrasound tech was taking forever to show up, and as it was her first ultrasound, Tatsuki was beyond nervous. "I need to go, alright? I hope your sister starts feeling better soon. I should be back in the office by tomorrow, so I'll work on rearranging the classes as soon as possible o-" The ultrasound tech, a kindly looking young woman, stepped inside and Tatsuki resisted the urge to hang up on Sen. "I really have to go now Sen. Everything will be ok, I promise. Bye." Tatsuki hung up and shoved her phone in her purse. She felt horrible about it, but she turned it to silent. This was more important than making sure one class at her dojo was going to be caught up by the end of the week. "Sorry about that. Work problems." Why she felt she had to apologize, she wasn't sure, but it seemed the right thing to do.

"It's ok, I understand." The woman waited for Tatsuki to push up her shirt. Chad sat in the nearby chair, and at this point he was obediently holding Tatsuki's purse, with the schedule and her phone crammed into it, a corner of the schedule sticking out the unzipped corner.

"Now, let's see." The woman started the ultrasound, running it back and forth a few times before she smiled. "There we go." Turning the screen towards the parents-to-be, she pointed to two spots on the screen. "There are your babies' heartbeats."

"Two?" Tatsuki blinked. "Really?" Chad leaned against the wall, and Tatsuki glanced at him. "If you're going to faint, put your head down on the other chair." She advised, but Chad shook his head.

"I'm assuming that twins don't run in either of your families?" The ultrasound tech smiled, studying both of them. Tatsuki shook her head, but then glanced at Chad, just in case. Chad shook his head too, not saying a word. "Twins can be hard to handle, but they are also twice the blessing." The tech smiled. "Do either of you have experience with kids?"

Tatsuki almost asked if this was routine discussion or if she was just making small talk, but instead she smiled. "I work with kids on a daily basis. Lots of kids, I run a dojo, though I'm not training them myself right now."

The ultrasound tech nodded approvingly. "What about you?" She studied Chad silently for a moment.

When Chad didn't say anything, Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "I work with them every day and he's still better with kids. We'll be fine."

"Good to know." The doctor leaned over a sheet. "I've marked down when your future ultrasounds will be, so you don't have to remember them yourselves." Winking, she pointed at herself. "Five kids myself, I know how forgetful pregnancy can make you." Tatsuki smiled, finally finding a kindred soul in the woman. "Ok, you are free to go for now. I won't keep you any longer." She handed Tatsuki a paper towel to wipe the ultrasound gel off of her stomach and then stepped out of the room.

"Two, huh?" Tatsuki grinned, though it felt a little shaky. "Well this is a surprise."

"You should tell Orihime first." Chad extended a hand to help her down off the table, but Tatsuki frowned at it. After a moment, she took it anyway, and slid off the table, edging her shirt down.

"Wanna go with me? These are _our _babies, and you're their friend too." From what she knew, Chad had been at least a good friend to Renji, and they hadn't seen each other in a while. "Come on, it'll be fun." She grinned, and it felt a little less shaky this time. Chad said nothing, but he drew her into his arms, snuggling her gently. Tatsuki blinked, but by all the ways she knew to read his emotions, he wasn't upset. "Are you ok, Chad?"

"Yes." He leaned down to kiss her hair briefly. "Let's go then."

* * *

"Twins! Did you hear that, Renji?" Orihime was busy hugging on Tatsuki and Chad, and Renji looked a little panicked. Chad and Renji traded a look, and Renji seemed to settle down. Tatsuki wondered, but said nothing. "You'll let us babysit, sometimes, right, Tatsuki?" Orihime was practically bouncing off the walls.

"Of course!" Tatsuki laughed. It was nice to know that she'd have a trustworthy babysitter on hand, if the need arose. "Are you two planning on having children?" She'd been curious about Renji and Orihime's plans, seeing as Orihime loved children, and Renji denied her absolutely nothing.

"We've been trying for a few months now." Orihime's smile flickered. "But I haven't been able to get pregnant yet."

"It'll happen." Tatsuki said confidently. "You two are meant to have kids." Renji laughed slightly, but he was grinning, and Orihime was back to her normal, happy self, so Tatsuki was sure she'd said the right thing.

"You're right!" She turned to Renji, grinning. "All we have to do is keep trying." The look on Renji's face – coupled with a grin – silently asked, _right now? _Tatsuki held in her laughter and guided Chad towards the door. "We have to get going, alright? I'll see you two later." Orihime waved, and then slipped over to Renji and crawled onto his lap. Tatsuki took this as their cue to leave.

Outside, Tatsuki squeezed Chad's hand. Why would someone like Orihime have such a problem getting pregnant? Orihime would likely be a better Mother than either her or Rukia, and she was having trouble getting pregnant? Fate wasn't fair sometimes.

The whole way home, Tatsuki worried over her best friend.

* * *

"What language are these instructions even in?" Tatsuki scoffed at the instructions for the cribs a few months later. Chad's old room had been meticulously cleaned, for broken _anything_ that could do a baby harm, after the break-in, and they were turning it into a nursery.

"I don't know." Chad was determined to get these cribs together though, seeing as he'd made it more than halfway on both of them without any instructions, and they looked sturdy.

Tatsuki was just beginning to show, and she caught herself looking at her stomach and running her hands over it, more often than not. There were two little babies in there, and she was finally beyond excited about it.

A noise startled Tatsuki, and Chad pointed towards their room. "Your cell phone is going off." Tatsuki hurried as best as she could to grab it. When she saw the caller ID, she didn't know what to expect. "Hey, Rukia."

"I suppose you told on me to Ichigo?" Rukia's voice was cool, but not overly cold. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Sorry." Tatsuki muttered. "I thought it was the right thing to do."

"Thank you." The cool edge broke off Rukia's voice and it became much warmer. "He's proven to me that although he cheated on me, he can be a good Father. I don't want to be with him romantically, but... it's important that he's in the baby's life. He is the father."

"That's good to know." Tatsuki smiled. "Where are you going to raise the baby, then?" It was a curiosity of hers, seeing as Rukia had been adamant at first to go back to soul society.

"Here and there." Rukia sighed slightly, but it wasn't really a negative sigh, not completely. "Nii... Nii-sama said he wants to be a part of the baby's life as well, so I can't just raise it here. It'll have to know all of its family."

"Good choice." Tatsuki smiled. "I'm proud of you for making that kind of choice."

"I'm thinking of the baby, not me." Rukia huffed, but then she laughed a little. "It's one thing to take care of yourself, and another to take care of a little life."

"Tell me about it." Tatsuki laughed. "Hey, Rukia, if you ever need to talk to someone and Orihime's busy..."

"You're in my speed dial." Rukia's voice was dead serious, and Tatsuki's face lit up in a grin. "Anyway, I have to go. I'm meeting Ichigo for lunch and then I'm going to the Kurosaki clinic for an examination."

"Not a date?" Tatsuki shifted her weight. "With Ichigo? Not a date, right?"

"No." Rukia sighed, and this time it _was_ a sad sigh. "I can't trust him enough to work through the issues we had. But I figure it's ok to spend some time with him, as long as I don't do anything stupid like get back together with him."

"Good for you." Tatsuki's tone was actually enthusiastic. "I know I wouldn't be able to spend time with Ichigo after what happened." Even after everything... what happened still stung. Here Tatsuki was, pregnant, with a trustworthy boyfriend who was sticking with her, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand the orange haired guy who had once been her best friend. Some things stick with you like that, she figured.

"I try." Rukia chuckled a little. "Ok, I really have to go now. But... you need me, you call me, ok?"

"Yup. Same here, _you_ need _me_, you call me." Tatsuki smiled as they finally said their goodbyes and hung up. So, in the end, that whole incident hadn't turned out quite as disastrous as it could have.

"Tatsuki. Come here." Chad called and Tatsuki hurried into the nursery... and was met with a beautiful sight. Both cribs were set up, and Tatsuki was embarrassed that she teared up a little.

"Great job." She leaned down a bit to kiss Chad's cheek – he was still on the floor. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she eased herself onto the floor, leaning on him.

Chad held onto her, content just to be for a while, seeing as soon enough, they'd constantly be going.

* * *

"And it's definitely two little girls." The ultrasound technician smiled. "How is the set up going?"

"He got the cribs together." Tatsuki laughed, nodding at Chad who blushed just a bit. "Which was amazing, considering that we couldn't even figure out what language the instructions were in."

"Have you figured out names yet?" The ultrasound tech handed Tatsuki a paper towel to wipe the gel off of her stomach.

"We're thinking on it." Tatsuki smiled. "I liked Akiko for a girl, but we don't quite have another girl name picked out."

"Aneko." Chad said softly. "The one that's born first will be the older sister." Tatsuki looked at him in surprise, and then full out grinned.

"Sounds good to me." Tatsuki reached for his hand as she sat up. Chad smiled softly and took her hand in his.

"Well, it sounds like you're close to being ready." The woman smiled at the happy couple. "Make sure you start baby-proofing the house soon."

"It's baby proofed." Tatsuki said gravely. "Nearly adult proof." Chad covered his mouth and Tatsuki could tell he was laughing. "Guess which adult." Tatsuki added, hooking a thumb at herself.

The ultrasound tech laughed, heading for the door. "Sounds good. Make sure you meet with your doctor to come up with a birthing plan soon, ok?" Tatsuki nodded, reaching for her - much lighter than a few months ago - purse.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Hey, can I come over?" Tatsuki's eyebrow twitched at Rukia's question. Sure, Rukia had become a dear, dear friend, and they'd talked over the phone a lot, but Tatsuki was officially eight months pregnant. Maternity leave – that was even forced on her a few weeks early, by Sen – was hell.

"Sure, why not?" Tatsuki did her best to sound cheery. "When will you be here?"

"Open the door." Rukia's tone was solemn. Tatsuki heaved herself up off the bed, and towards the door. Upon opening it, she was met with quite a sight – Rukia, holding a small, orange haired baby, bundled in a blue blanket.

"What's his name?" Tatsuki suddenly felt much happier than she had in weeks.

"Seiji Kuchiki." Rukia sighed slightly. "Nii-sama convinced me to let him have the family last name. Well, he insisted." Rukia paused. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Please." Tatsuki carefully took the little boy from Rukia, and the baby yawned, looking at Tatsuki through half-lidded eyes... half lidded, violet eyes. "He has your eyes." She smiled at Rukia.

"And the hair that will never let Nii-sama forget who his Father is." Rukia sighed, but smiled. "When are yours due?"

"Next month." Tatsuki stepped close to Rukia to hand Seiji back. "How is it, having a baby?"

"He..." Rukia paused, her eyes softening. "He needs me, and I like that." She held Seiji a little closer. "He's very important to me. I love my son."

"I'm glad you're happy." Tatsuki touched her stomach, at least half of her worries dissolving under Rukia's love for her son. "Do you want to come in for a while?"

"No, I better be on my way. We're going to see Ichigo and Grandpa Isshin." Rukia studied Tatsuki for a moment. "You should be resting, anyway. Only one more month to go."

Tatsuki nodded, but chuckled at the words "Grandpa Isshin". "Thanks for coming by." She waited until Rukia had walked away to shut and lock the door.

One more month to go. And then she'd have two babies outside of her to deal with, instead of hauling them around inside of her.

* * *

A/N: There's not much left to post, after this chapter, and I don't know what I'll be doing for fanfics after this, but I hope you're enjoying this! What did you think?


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Ok, I'm sorry I took so long. I got really distracted, mostly with original writing. But, here's the last chapter! I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or make any profit off of this.

* * *

It all happened in a flash, Tatsuki, on the morning of her due date, woke up, her water already having broken. Chad rushed her to the hospital, and after that it only took a short matter of hours for Aneko and then Akiko to be born. Akiko was considerably smaller, and both babies were rushed off to be cleaned up and examined.

"Do you think they're alright?" Tatsuki asked after the silence in the hospital room became too much. She'd seen how much smaller Akiko was, and that made her nervous. She couldn't bear anything happening to her precious daughters, who, in the beginning, had been so unexpected, but were now so loved. Chad kissed her hand, but clearly didn't want to say anything on the matter.

A nurse brought Aneko in, and she looked a lot like her Father. She had his skin tone, his brown hair, but upon closer inspection, her eyes were closer to Tatsuki's.

"Where is the other baby?" Tatsuki asked as the nurse stood nearby. Yes, Aneko was beautiful, and yes, Tatsuki loved her beyond what she thought possible, but her sister was important too.

"Her sister is in the neonatal intensive care unit." The nurse said soberly. "There's a problem that happens with some twins – simply put, one twin takes up most of the growth. Aneko did that, and her little sister isn't as well developed. The main problem appears to be her lungs; she's having some trouble breathing. You can see her shortly."

It was all Tatsuki could do not to burst into tears. Damn it, why hadn't they seen that on the ultrasounds and done something about it? But screaming at the nurse wouldn't do her – or Akiko a drop of good. Shifting Aneko in her arms, Tatsuki took a shaky breath. "How bad is it?" She asked, shaking slightly. This was not how she imagined her babies' birthday going at all.

"It's not as bad as it is in, say, a very premature baby, but it's not going to be easy for a while either." The nurse hesitated, and for the first time Tatsuki realized that she was young – couldn't be over 26. Tatsuki silently hoped for a kindred soul when she started to open her mouth, but the nurse started to talk, answering her question before Tatsuki even asked it. "I'm headed back there, to the neonatal ICU, so if you want, I could come back here when my shift is over to tell you how she's doing. You might be able to come see her by then too."

"Thank you." Tatsuki took a deep breath and managed a smile. "I'll be waiting on that." The nurse gave her a shy, quivering smile and then darted out. "Chad, can you take Aneko for a moment?" Chad obediently took their oldest baby from Tatsuki, and Tatsuki proceeded to take deep breaths and try not to cry. She'd never really believed herself to be an emotional person, but this... was a lot.

Chad sat close, trying to get their first baby to sleep. Worry flickered in his eyes, but he said nothing, knowing that Tatsuki wouldn't want to hear it.

* * *

"Tatsuki!" Orihime ran into the hospital room, nearly falling down before she made it to Tatsuki's hospital bed. Chad had called her and Renji, along with Taya, Mizuiro and Keigo. Mizuiro had offered to stay home with Kami so Taya could go, so apparently only Taya, Keigo, Renji and Orihime had made it there, or would make it there. In addition, he'd warned all of them to be considerate about the situation, something they'd likely be anyway, but Chad didn't want anyone stepping on Tatsuki's nerves right now.

"Hi!" Tatsuki sat up a little for a hug, damn; she was still tired. She hadn't gotten a nap for all the worrying, and she was exhausted still. "Aneko's in the bassinette, but I think Chad got her to sleep, so try not to wake her up, ok?" Orihime nodded, and the way she tiptoed over to the bassinette made Tatsuki laugh.

"She looks like Chad." Orihime smiled, leaning down to study the baby. "Renji, you can come in here too." She called softly, over her shoulder. Renji slowly stepped into the room, his eyes betraying exactly how awkward he felt here. "Renji, come on." Orihime murmured, and Renji, like a puppy being called to have frontline applied to its back, slowly came over to her.

"Do you not like babies, Renji?" Tatsuki asked, because everyone seemed to be wondering about this reaction except Aneko.

"No, I just find being here..." Renji shrugged, but he seemed to be loosening up, so Tatsuki let it go. "She really does look like you, Chad." He noted. Chad said nothing, just glanced at Tatsuki.

"Hey!" Keigo stepped into the room, Taya in tow. Everyone immediately shushed him and Keigo frowned, but lowered his tone. "How's the brand new Mommy?" He asked Tatsuki, leaning down to kiss her cheek in a way that made Tatsuki think of a younger brother.

"Ok, I guess." Tatsuki let Taya lean over to give her a hug too.

Footsteps at the door startled all of them, except Aneko, who woke up, but didn't cry. The nurse stood in the hallway, holding a baby girl who was the spitting image of Tatsuki, and smaller than Aneko.

"Akiko?" Tatsuki whispered as the nurse stepped into the room, handing Akiko to Tatsuki.

"Apparently her lungs weren't as underdeveloped as we thought." The nurse said brightly, smiling. "There was some fluid in her lungs, but it cleared with some oxygen. She's been breathing normally for the past few hours, so the doctors said it was safe to bring her in here. I'll get you another bassinette, just a moment." The nurse darted out, and Tatsuki swallowed hard to avoid getting choked up.

"Well." Tatsuki smiled. "The family is all here now."

* * *

"Ok, so let's work on this." It was a few weeks later, and Tatsuki was home with the babies. Chad had gone off to work, but Tatsuki was still on maternity leave, though not for much longer, and trying to help Orihime work on her wedding plans again.

"Ok, so if we move it to next spring, then we have plenty of time to get everything properly moved around." Tatsuki took a pencil out from behind her ear and made a few notes. "Is that going to work for you two? Is it ok?"

"Unless an emergency comes up, that'll work." Orihime smiled at Tatsuki. "Thank you for helping me plan this when you've got your hands full..."

"Thanks for helping me watch them." Tatsuki nodded towards the nursery. "But as for helping you plan this, what are best friends for?" She grinned at her just as one of the babies – sounded like Aneko – started to cry. "Hold on, let me handle this." Tatsuki slipped into the nursery – and yes, it was Aneko crying – changed her diaper, got her settled back down, debated putting her in the crib for a few minutes, and then brought her out to the living room. Akiko was still asleep, so she could manage with one baby for now. But a quick glance into the living room made Tatsuki nervous. "Orihime, where'd you go?"

"Bathroom." Orihime mumbled, and then came a sound that was familiar to Tatsuki from way back in the beginning of her pregnancy. Placing Aneko back in her crib, just for now, Tatsuki ran into the bathroom, leaning over Orihime, who was on the floor.

"Alright, no fever. Did you eat anything weird?" Tatsuki paused. "Weird for you?" Orihime shook her head, closing her eyes. "Last period was when?" Orihime blinked for a moment.

"Do you think I'm..." She trailed off, clearly not wanting to get excited when maybe she was just sick.

"Looks like it. I'd say get a pregnancy test and take it at home with Renji around." Tatsuki helped her up to the sink and flushed the toilet. "Do you want to do that now? The wedding planning can wait a couple days if it needs to."

"Yes, I'll do that now." Orihime looked near tears, though they were definitely happy tears. "I'm pretty sure Renji is home, he's been patrolling nights."

"Do that then." Tatsuki smiled. She knew Orihime would get pregnant sooner or later, and she couldn't be more thrilled at the fact that she probably was. "Good luck!" Orihime danced out the door, almost forgetting her coat and shoes in her rush. Tatsuki just laughed and shook her head.

* * *

Months passed, and soon enough Orihime was showing. Tatsuki watched her babies grow, and was finally back at her job, hands-on in the training of all the little martial artists. Every once in a while, Tatsuki caught Sen giving her questioning looks, but Sen never asked what she wanted to, even though Tatsuki pressured her to just _say it._

After one particular night, Tatsuki knew very well what Sen had been wondering about.

Tatsuki came home late from the dojo – there'd been an incident with two of her troublemakers, and she'd ended up prying them apart and having to call their parents... it had been a mess. The dojo had been a mess for that matter – one improper fight and everything had seemed to go flying. She was exhausted, frustrated and kind of cranky. But the moment she opened the door to the apartment, she could smell something especially delicious cooking, she could hear the strains of her favorite album coming from the boom-box, and the lights were dimmed, only a couple lamps were on despite how dark it made the apartment.

Silently hoping she didn't trip and die in the dark, she peeked into the nursery. Both babies were asleep, and Tatsuki watched them for a moment before slipping out and into the kitchen. Chad stood there, and there was worry in his eyes. What was going on? Tatsuki's breath caught; she almost knew. Almost, almost, almost. "Chad?" She asked softly.

In the dim light from a small lamp that had been plugged in, in the kitchen, Tatsuki watched as Chad got down on one knee and held a ring up to her. "Marry me, Tatsuki."

Tatsuki froze up for a moment, but then hugged him tightly. "YES." She was grinning, and she didn't understand why so many women cried at this – until she realized her cheeks were wet; she _was_ crying.

Chad held her for a moment, and then took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. Tatsuki hugged him again, unwilling to be let go of.

Ok, so her happy ending wasn't exactly what she thought it would be in the beginning – and the path she took to get there wasn't exactly conventional - but Tatsuki couldn't have been happier with the results.

* * *

A/N: And the curtain finally closes on this story. What did you think?


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